Coventry City's players are being scrutinised by Gary McAllister and his backroom staff to see if they are good captain material.

The Sky Blues? player/boss is yet to appoint a new skipper since taking charge and is on the hunt for natural leaders.

Although John Eustace, who was appointed to the post by Gordon Strachan 12 months ago, has not been ruled out, McAllister is keeping an open mind as to who will get the job.

?I?ve not appointed a skipper yet,? he said. ?It?s something I have got to sit down with Eric Black and the new guys and discuss.

?I have got an idea of where I would like the captain to be and what sort of person. John has done a great job and he?s done especially well since I left the club. He?s still a big player but whether he?ll be captain I don?t know. We will have to watch closely and watch the training.?

One player who could fit the bill is new signing Dean Gordon who McAllister is delighted to welcome on board along with his other new capture Gary Caldwell.

?I am very pleased to see Dean and Gary at the club,? he said. ?I spent a lot of time trying to get both of them.

?Dean has played for England under-21s and was a wee bit unfortunate at Middlesbrough. He had a couple of bad injuries but he?s definitely over them now.

?He has been working hard over the summer and he brings a lot of experience on the left hand side of the park and a sweet left foot which we don?t have in abundance here.

?So he gives us a big attacking plus on that side of the pitch.? Caldwell, meanwhile, may not be in contention for the captaincy by virtue of the fact that he is only on loan for 12 months, but McAllister is in no doubt that the centre-half has a key role to play in his squad.

?There was a bit of negotiating to try and get Gary out of a contract at Newcastle but we have managed to secure him for a year?s loan,? he said.

?We would have liked to have secured a permanent transfer there but such is the big clubs? power these days that they don?t have to accept any offers for players. So we are grateful we have got him for a year.

?Gary is now a full international so he?ll bring international experience. He?s young and eager and his intention this season was that he didn?t want to be in the reserves at Newcastle.

?He showed me when I sat and chatted to him that he wanted to come here and play and his ambition now is to play. He doesn?t want to be part of a squad and be 20th man and he feels that coming here gives him a better chance of playing regular first team football at a good level.?